Warren wows in Iowa as caucus chase begins
DES MOINES, Iowa — The chant — “2 cents, 2 cents, 2 cents” — started in the back of a massive crowd that packed sidewalks at the Iowa State Fair. Elizabeth Warren, basking in the spontaneous adulation of her proposed wealth tax, prompted roars as she called on the ultrawealthy to “pitch in 2 cents so everybody gets a chance to make it.”
A night before, the Massachusetts senator enjoyed similar treatment when Democrats at a party dinner jumped to their feet — some beginning to dance — at the opening bars of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” the song that ushers Warren on stage.
For someone whose White House ambitions were dismissed by some Democrats earlier this year after a shaky campaign launch, Warren’s reception in Iowa this weekend was a clear warning sign to other candidates that hers is a campaign to be reckoned with in the state that kicks off the race for the party’s nomination.
Warren was one of nearly two dozen candidates who paraded through Iowa this weekend, speaking at the state fair, the annual Wing Ding dinner and a forum on gun control. The sheer volume of presidential contenders signaled a new phase of the campaign, ending the get-to-know-you period and beginning a six-month sprint to the Iowa caucuses.
In that time, the historically large field will winnow out, frontrunner Joe Biden will be tested more forcefully and a fierce competition will unfold for candidates to be seen as viable alternatives. They’ll be competing for the support of Democrats who say repeatedly that, despite their differences, their top priority is landing on a nominee who can defeat President Donald Trump.
As Biden maintains a tenuous lead in polls and Warren gains ground, there’s time for ascendant candidates Pete Buttigieg and Kamala Harris to get hot. Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, is still in the top-tier with a devoted following.
Biden’s Iowa swing showcased the challenges that lie ahead for him. The visit was marred by gaffes in which he stumbled over his words or seemed to get the dates wrong on major events.
Some Biden supporters worry that he’s lost some of his spark. Greene County Democratic Party Chair Chris Henning said that, in the past, “Energywise, he looked people in the eye, remembered your name, called your name — and he’s not that Joe Biden anymore.”
If Biden’s worried, he didn’t show it in Iowa. With a smile on his face, he strolled through the state fair, stopping at one point for ice cream.
“You’re gonna see these numbers go up and down and up and down,” Biden said. “All I can do is try to be as authentic as I can.”
Harris’ five-day Iowa tour marked the longest stretch she’s spent in an early-voting state. After a slow summer in which she faced questions about her commitment to the state, Harris said her biggest challenge in Iowa is that she’s relatively unknown.
“There are people in this race that have had national profiles for many years,” she told reporters. “I’m still introducing myself to people.”
Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Sanders, the Vermont senator, also remain strong contenders. Iowa operatives say even as he’s slipped in the polls, Sanders can’t be written off.